They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

Praise for THE ARTISANS:

"The Artisans has all the elements I love -- spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored." ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy

"Read The Artisans in the middle of the night with a flashlight if you dare. The perfect blend of romance and horror with a strong female lead kept me reading through the night." ~ L.S. Murphy author of PIXELATED and REAPERJ

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"Wowza!!!! That book was so freakin' good! Intense, insane, freaky at parts and sooooo good! I haven't had emotions like this about a book in a long time!" ~ Mindy Blogger @ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

"The first thing I thought when I finished this book was 'dang, I would love to see this as a movie.' The Artisans has such an awesome and haunting concept to it plus I just adore all of the characters." ~ Jena Blogger @ Shortie Says

"The Artisans was a unique modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast filled with mystery, romance and wonderful characters. From the first page I was completely lost in the wonderful setting that Reece created." ~ Bridget Blogger @ Dark Faerie Tales

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities and did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher), I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess … or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad-guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure … which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except she suspects she may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in
the family's steam forge.

When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. But the trip proves more harrowing than she had anticipated, revealing secrets and testing her strength as well as her heart. Love, adventure and restitution await her in Canada, but only if she can survive the voyage.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"The writing is solid and the world-building -- that clever combination of historical detail and Ms. Statham’s imagination -- is excellent." ~ The Australia Times Books

“I'd give more than five stars if I could. I’d recommend this to anyone who is a fan of young adult steampunk, girls who aren't afraid to wield guns and wear pants in an age of dresses, adventure, and a dash of romance.” ~ Bitches in Prose

“ I ADORED this story, and these characters, and I don't want to give too much away. It is all worth stumbling across on your own! With a cover to drool over, fantastic characters, a simmering romance, awesome historical settings, and majorly cool steampunk elements, The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl (awesome title) easily captivated me, and now that it is over I want MORE!” ~ The Best Books Ever

“ I've only recently discovered Steampunk, and every story that I read in this genre makes me love it even more. The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl was such an adventure! This book is rich in so many things and lacking absolutely nothing.” ~ Pretty Little Pages

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and
writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.

About Me

Susan M. Heim is a writer and editor,
specializing in parenting, multiples, Christian and women’s issues. Her books
include It’s Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through
Adolescence; Boosting Your Baby’s Brain Power; Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will
Change Your Life the First Year;Twice the Love: Stories of
Inspiration for Families with Twins, Multiples and Singletons; and numerous Chicken Soup
for the Soul books. Her
articles have appeared in many books, magazines and websites. Visit her author site at www.susanheim.com.